noveltune Chapter 63 Teasing Sima
Chapter 63 Teasing Sima
"Sima Yi finally managed to escape, why would he come here to die?" Lü Lingqi fluttered her long eyelashes, her eyes seemingly unconvinced.
Gu Cheng turned to Cao Ang and said, "Young Master, I believe that Yuan Shao will send troops into Hanoi after learning of Sui Gu's defeat. Young Master, please return to the camp immediately and prepare to fight Yuan's army."
"Brother Gu is right." Cao Ang immediately stood up, but then asked, "What are your plans regarding Sima Yi, Brother Gu?" "Leave the rest to me. Young Master, you need not be distracted." Gu Cheng's calm tone subtly revealed a sense of confidence in controlling everything. Cao Ang knew that Gu Cheng was incredibly resourceful; if he said he had a way to kill Sima Yi, he must have one. He didn't ask any more questions, rose to take his leave, and left.
Gu Cheng turned his gaze to the wedding car and said loudly, "Miss Zhang, aren't you stuffy sitting in the car for so long? Get out and get some fresh air."
Inside the carriage, the bride remained expressionless.
Gu Cheng frowned slightly: "If Miss Zhang refuses to come down, I will have no choice but to ask her to come down. Please forgive me if I am impolite then."
The words had barely left his mouth.
The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a young woman dressed in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe.
Gu Cheng looked her over and thought that Sima Yi had good taste. Although the bride's appearance could not be described as stunningly beautiful, she was definitely a beauty.
The girl stood on the carriage, her gaze fixed on Gu Cheng.
Their eyes met, and the girl's face flushed slightly. "Get out of the carriage," Gu Cheng said, raising his hand and offering it to her. The girl hesitated for a moment, then bit her lip and reluctantly placed her hand in Gu Cheng's, helping him down from the carriage. "This humble woman is Zhang Chunhua. May I ask your honorable name, sir?" she curtsied and asked softly. Gu Cheng smiled faintly, "My name is Gu Cheng, and I am but a commoner. Miss, there is no need for you to refer to yourself as a commoner." This name caused Zhang Chunhua's expression to change, and a look of surprise immediately flashed in her eyes.
"I heard Sima Yi mention to my father that the extraordinary person behind Cao Mengde was a young master from Xu County, whose name seemed to be Gu Cheng."
"Could it be this person before me?" Zhang Chunhua sized Gu Cheng up and down, her mind racing. After calming herself slightly, Zhang Chunhua couldn't help but ask, "Young Master Gu, if I may be so bold as to ask, why did you want to exterminate the Sima clan?"
Clearly, she had deduced from the snippets of conversation she had overheard that the one who destroyed the Sima family was not the defeated soldiers from Hanoi, but rather Gu Cheng who was behind it all.
"Sima Yi once sent someone to assassinate me, so I want to wipe out his entire family," Gu Cheng said calmly.
Zhang Chunhua was taken aback: "What deep-seated grudge does Sima Yi have against you, young master, that he would plot against you?" "I don't know, and I'm too lazy to guess," Gu Cheng said nonchalantly. "Anyway, he tried to harm me first, so wiping out his entire clan isn't too much to ask, is it?" Zhang Chunhua gasped. Ruthless!
In an instant, the word "ruthless" flashed through her mind. Sima Yi had plotted against him without cause, so he naturally deserved to die, and his death was not a pity.
But when he retaliated, he intended to exterminate Sima Yi's entire clan; the ruthlessness of his methods sent chills down Zhang Chunhua's spine. "These grudges, in the end, belong to the young master and the Sima family. Chunhua hasn't married into the Sima family yet, so she's not considered a member. Young master, you've brought Chunhua here; what do you intend to do with her?"
Zhang Chunhua suppressed her shock, a hint of grievance appearing on her beautiful face, and asked softly.
"Miss Zhang, that's a stretch. If I had waited even half a day, would you still have the chance to stand here and act all innocent and aggrieved?"
Gu Cheng gave a cold laugh, seeing through Zhang Chunhua's thoughts. Zhang Chunhua was speechless, a cold sweat breaking out on her back.
"He's right. If it had been half a day later, I would have been buried with the Sima family. I'm lucky to be alive now..." She couldn't help but feel secretly fortunate and quickly put away her aggrieved expression.
"Then...what does Young Master Gu intend to do with Chunhua?" Zhang Chunhua asked timidly, her eyes flickering with unease.
Gu Cheng reassured them, "Don't worry, I won't kill you, I'll even take you as my concubine!" Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.
Lu Lingqi, who was standing to the side, was taken aback, and a hint of displeasure flashed in her eyes.
Xu Chu clicked his tongue in surprise, thinking to himself that although his young master had a lot of luck with women, he wasn't the kind of纨绔 (wan ku, a spoiled brat) who couldn't walk past a beautiful woman.
"Young Master Gu, you're not joking, are you? You want to take me as your concubine?" Zhang Chunhua was also taken aback, and her face immediately flushed with embarrassment.
"To be precise, I should ask you to cooperate with me and act out a scene where I want to take you as my concubine," Gu Cheng said with a playful smile.
Zhang Chunhua looked blankly at him: "Forgive my ignorance, but please enlighten me, Young Master Gu." "Simply put, I want you to write a letter and send it to your father, Zhang Wang."
"In your letter, give Sima Yi a good scolding, call him heartless and ungrateful, use every nasty insult you can think of. Finally, say that you were fortunate to have been saved by me, Gu Cheng, and that you are determined to submit to me as my concubine. Ask your father, Zhang Wang, to come to my Gu family in Ping County for a wedding feast."
Gu Cheng spoke slowly and deliberately.
Hearing about things like becoming a concubine and wedding banquets, Zhang Chunhua blushed deeply, her eyes filled with shyness. Suddenly...
She suddenly realized what was happening and asked in surprise, "Young Master Gu, do you perhaps intend to use me to humiliate Sima Yi, provoke him into attacking us, and then walk right into my trap?"
A hint of appreciation flashed in Gu Cheng's eyes.
This Zhang Chunhua is quite clever; she could see through his intentions. "Miss Zhang is intelligent, that's right, that's exactly what I meant," Gu Cheng said without denying it.
Zhang Chunhua sighed, "Sima Yi is indeed heartless and treacherous, and he is also cunning and scheming. Even I can see through your plan, so I'm afraid Sima Yi can see through it too. He might not fall for it and come here."
"You don't need to worry about that. I said he would walk right into the trap, and he definitely will!" Gu Cheng's brows were full of confidence, as if he had already seen through Sima Yi. Zhang Chunhua remained silent, hesitating for a moment.
Hearing that Gu Cheng didn't truly intend to take her as a concubine, Lü Lingqi breathed a sigh of relief, her expression brightening. Seeing Zhang Chunhua hesitate, she brandished her halberd: "Do whatever the young master tells you to do. If you disobey, I'll cut off your head right now!"
Zhang Chunhua trembled in fright and took a half step back.
"He can wipe out the Sima clan without hesitation. His methods are so ruthless. If I don't comply, he probably won't spare me." "Fine, that dog Sima Yi abandoned me and fled in my time of crisis. He really deserves to die!" After weighing the options for a moment.
Zhang Chunhua took a deep breath and nodded, saying, "Alright, I'll write this letter."
The eastern part of Hanoi County, the city of Chaoge.
Seven thousand Yuan troops were marching into the city in a grand procession.
After receiving Sui Gu's overtures, Yuan Shao hesitated and delayed his response. Only after learning that Cao Ang had killed Sui Gu and that his army had swiftly entered Hanoi did Yuan Shao decide to send his second son, Yuan Xi, with 7,000 troops to Hanoi.
As soon as Yuan Xi entered the county government, he summoned his advisors and generals to discuss matters. The meeting took place in a courtyard east of the county government building.
Sima Yi was preparing to get up and go to the county government for a meeting.
After the Sima clan was massacred, Sima Yi was all alone and had nowhere to go. When he learned that Yuan Xi was leading a large army into Hanoi, he rushed over to seek refuge with him.
The Sima family was a prominent clan in Hanoi, and Sima Yi was renowned far and wide. Yuan Xi was naturally overjoyed that Sima Yi had come to seek refuge. Considering Sima Yi was from Hanoi, Yuan Xi ordered him to accompany him and advise on military matters. Just as Sima Yi arrived at the door, Zhang Wang rushed in. "Zhongda, there's news from Chunhua!" Zhang Wang whispered.
Sima Yi's heart skipped a beat, and the scene of abandoning Zhang Chunhua in his escape flashed through his mind. After a moment of distraction, Sima Yi asked, "Chunhua...is she still alive?" "Not only is she alive, she even sent someone back to me with a letter."
Zhang Wang's expression turned serious. He took a letter from his pocket and said, "What did she say in the letter? Let me see it quickly." Sima Yi looked impatient.
Zhang Wang sighed, "Zhongda, after you read the contents of this letter, you must remain calm and not get angry." A strange premonition suddenly welled up in Sima Yi's heart. He took a deep breath, took Zhang Chunhua's letter, and slowly opened it.
After glancing at it a few times, Sima Yi's eyes narrowed, his face contorting in anger as fury flared within them. In the letter, Zhang Chunhua used every derogatory term imaginable, hurling insults at him from head to toe. What enraged Sima Yi even more was that Zhang Chunhua had declared her intention to become Gu Cheng's concubine! Furthermore, she wanted to invite Zhang Wang to her wedding in Ping County!
"Nephew, please calm down. Chunhua must have been coerced into doing this by someone else, and he had no choice but to do it," Zhang Wang hurriedly comforted him.
Sima Yi took several deep breaths, barely managing to suppress his humiliation and indignation. Then, he smiled coldly: "Of course I know that Chunhua was forced. Gu Cheng was just trying to provoke me, to lure me to Ping County to seek revenge, so that I would walk right into his trap."
Zhang Wang suddenly realized.
He frowned, indignantly saying, "That Gu Cheng is too ruthless! What did you do to offend him, my dear nephew? Not only did he wipe out your entire clan, but he also kidnapped Chunhua, using every means to try and kill you!"
Sima Yi, with his exceptional wisdom, escaped the massacre that day. After reuniting with Zhang Wang, he deduced that Gu Cheng was retaliating against him by wiping out his entire clan. Faced with Zhang Wang's confusion, Sima Yi dared not reveal the truth. He could only feign indignation, bitterly saying, "That treacherous Gu Cheng unjustly wiped out my entire clan and abducted my fiancée! I, Sima Yi, swear I will not be a man if I do not kill him!"
Zhang Wang was taken aback and hurriedly said, "Nephew, do you really intend to go to Ping County to settle accounts with Gu Cheng?" "Ping County is very close to Hanoi. If we don't kill him now, when will we have another chance in the future?" Sima Yi said sternly.
Zhang Wang advised, "But you yourself said that Gu Cheng deliberately lured you into a trap. How can you fall for it?" "Don't worry, Uncle!"
Sima Yi's face lit up with confidence: "Now that I have seen through his treacherous scheme, I naturally have a way to break it." "Nephew, I know you are intelligent, but that Gu Cheng is no ordinary person. Didn't you say that he might be the extraordinary hermit behind Cao Cao?"
"This man is almost demonic in his wisdom and resourcefulness; countless lords have died because of his treacherous schemes!" "You must think carefully before you fight him!" Zhang Wang earnestly advised.
"The hatred of my clan's extermination and the humiliation of my wife's abduction—if I do not avenge these, how can I, Sima Yi, have the face to stand in this world!" "That Gu fellow, even if he were Zhang Liang reborn, so what? Today, I, Sima Yi, will fight him to the death!" Sima Yi's face was ashen, his eyes resolute. Zhang Wang's expression hardened; he didn't know how to persuade him further. "Uncle, rest assured, within ten days, I will surely take Gu Cheng's head!" Sima Yi made a solemn vow, mounted his horse, and headed straight for the county government.
The main hall of the county government. Yuan Xi sat high above.
"Reporting to the Second Young Master, after Cao Ang killed Sui Gu, his army advanced eastward, capturing Wen County, Huai County, and Wude City in succession." "Now, most of Hanoi Commandery is under Cao's control!" General Jiang Qi reported. "Bang!" Yuan Xi frowned deeply and cursed, "That good-for-nothing Sui Gu! He allowed Cao Ang to easily break through the natural barrier of the Yellow River, enabling Cao's army to advance at lightning speed. He's truly useless!"
"That's strange. Although Sui Gu is mediocre, he shouldn't be so incompetent as to be so easily defeated by Cao Ang!" Guo Tu also clicked his tongue in amazement, completely baffled.
"Second Young Master, the reason Cao Ang was able to defeat Sui Gu so quickly was because Gu Cheng was guiding and planning behind the scenes!" A confident voice rang out.
Sima Yi, who had been preparing for this for a long time, finally seized the opportunity and stepped forward. "Gu Cheng!"
"It's that brat again! How hateful!" Yuan Xi's expression changed, and anger immediately surged between his brows.
The image of Gu Cheng refusing his offer of service in Xuchang, openly defying him, flashed through Guo Tu's mind. Guo Tu angrily exclaimed, "This Gu fellow not only refused Yuan Shao's offer, but now he's even helping Cao Cao and Yuan Shao seize Hanoi Commandery! He truly has no respect for Yuan Shao!"
"Bang!" Yuan Xi slammed his fist on the table, saying bitterly, "When Father's army marches south and wipes out Cao Cao, I will personally kill Gu Cheng to vent my hatred!"
"Second Young Master, if you want to kill Gu Cheng, you don't need to wait for Lord Yuan's army to march south!" Sima Yi suddenly sneered.
Yuan Xi's eyes lit up, and he asked urgently, "Zhongda, what do you mean by that?"
Sima Yi cupped his hands and said, "Second Young Master, Gu Cheng is currently in Ping County. I know where he lives. Please lend me three hundred elite soldiers. I will sneak into Ping County now and behead Gu Cheng!"
Yuan Xi was overjoyed and said happily, "Very well, I will give you three hundred elite soldiers. If you can bring back Gu Cheng's head, you will have eliminated a major threat to my Yuan family, and my father will reward you handsomely!"
"Thank you very much, Second Young Master. I will certainly not fail your trust!"
Sima Yi readily accepted the order, his face burning with determination.
That same day, Sima Yi led three hundred elite soldiers, disguised as Cao Cao's army soldiers, to secretly cross the Yellow River and sneak towards Ping County.
The Gu residence is located in the northeast of Ping County.
As evening approached, the courtyard was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, creating a joyful atmosphere.
The rich aroma of wine wafted from the courtyard and drifted into the night.
Inside the courtyard.
Xu Chu and Lü Lingqi, leading over a hundred guards, were fully armed and ready for battle. The atmosphere in the courtyard was tense. Only Gu Cheng, however, leisurely sipped his wine, completely at ease.
"Young Master Gu, please forgive my bluntness, but with Sima Yi's wisdom, even if he were lured here, he would not rashly launch a direct attack." (The sentence is incomplete and lacks context.)
"Young Master, you think you can kill Sima Yi so easily? I'm afraid you're mistaken," Zhang Chunhua couldn't help but say.
Gu Cheng took a sip of wine and sneered, "Of course I know that Sima Yi will not launch a reckless attack. Miss Zhang doesn't think that I'm just sitting here waiting for Sima Yi to take the bait, does she?"
"Hmm?" Zhang Chunhua's bright eyes flickered, and her expression became blank. She finished her cup of wine.
Gu Chengteng sat up abruptly, waved his hand, and shouted, "It's about time. Open the tunnel." Upon receiving the order, Xu Chu personally opened a stone slab in the courtyard. A tunnel was revealed before them.
Gu Cheng took a torch and jumped into the tunnel first, extending his hand to Zhang Chunhua. Zhang Chunhua was astonished and stood there stunned for a while before reluctantly giving her hand to Gu Cheng. Gu Cheng then raised the torch and led her into the tunnel. Xu Chu, Lü Lingqi, Gao Shun, and over a hundred guards followed. After walking several dozen steps, when Gu Cheng led Zhang Chunhua out of the tunnel, they were already in the woods outside the Gu residence.
Zhang Chunhua's face changed in shock, and she said urgently, "Young Master Gu, you actually—" "Shh!" Gu Cheng raised his index finger, making a shushing gesture. Then, he pointed out of the woods.
Zhang Chunhua held her breath and, along with everyone else, looked toward the Gu residence, which was a few dozen steps away.
As night deepened and the darkness deepened, figures silently approached the Gu residence, piling bundles of firewood outside the courtyard wall.
Sudden.
Dozens of streaks of light shot out from the darkness, heading straight for the Gu residence. They were rockets!
The firewood piled outside the courtyard wall was instantly ignited, and in the blink of an eye, the entire Gu residence was engulfed in flames. Meanwhile, countless rockets continued to rain down on the Gu residence in the darkness. Soon, not only were the outer walls ablaze, but the houses within the courtyard were also completely ablaze. In less than fifteen minutes, the entire residence, inside and out, was transformed into a sea of fire. Flames soared into the sky, illuminating an area within a hundred paces.
The three hundred Yuan soldiers, arrayed in formation, also made their appearance.
Sima Yi stood on his horse, admiring the raging fire, a smug sneer spreading across his face. "Gu Cheng, did you think I would storm your residence? You greatly underestimate me, Sima Yi!" "Even if you are as intelligent as a demon, you would never have imagined I would use fire as a weapon." "Hahaha—"
Sima Yi's triumphant laughter echoed in the night sky. Inside the woods.
"That old tortoise Sima Yi has made his appearance. Lingqi, it's up to you now." Gu Cheng sneered as he looked back at the two of them, a murderous glint in his eyes.
"Don't worry, young master, this time I will never let Sima Yi escape again!" Lü Lingqi mounted her horse, wielding her halberd, and galloped away.
Over a hundred Gu family guards surged out of the woods, their battle cries deafening, and charged towards Sima Yi's location. Only then did Zhang Chunhua finally come to her senses. She turned abruptly, her shocked gaze fixed on Gu Cheng. "Young Master Gu, you actually foresaw that Sima Yi wouldn't dare launch a direct attack, but would only use fire to ambush him!" "So, you dug this tunnel beforehand, sneaking out of the mansion undetected, waiting for Sima Yi to believe his fire attack had succeeded before catching him completely off guard?"
"You've already foreseen every move Sima Yi made since you made me write that letter?" Zhang Chunhua questioned Gu Cheng, her voice trembling.
"You figured it out so quickly, Miss Zhang. You are indeed smarter than most women," Gu Cheng nodded in admiration.
His praise was tantamount to acknowledging Zhang Chunhua's guess.
"Sima Yi guessed correctly. He must be the mastermind behind Cao Cao, the one who could calculate without fail. There's no doubt about it, it must be him..."
Her mind was racing; she stared blankly at Gu Cheng, completely lost in thought.